June News from Omega Writers: Australia’s Christian Writers Network

Save the Date: Omega Writers online retreat program shapes up!

In the years between in-person conferences, Omega Writers hosts online retreats, featuring guest speakers, breakout rooms and closing with the CALEB Awards ceremony for our unpublished competition.

We are so excited with how our 2023 program is shaping up!

We are thrilled to reveal that this year’s program will feature Roseanna White as a keynote speaker. Roseanna is a best-selling, award-winning author of over thirty novels, as well as an editor, cover designer and publisher! She is also an authoritative and compelling teacher on writing craft and marketing principles. 

Roseanna will help kick off a reflective program that will include collaborative sessions about how we represent the marginalised in Christian writing, and how to handle discouragement and setbacks. Our online retreat is designed to allow you to meet with others in small chapter groups, watch the content together then fellowship over break-out sessions and meals.

Save the dates:

• Friday 6th October from 7pm
• Saturday 7th October from 9am to late.

Have you nominated someone yet for the Barnabas or Encouragement Award?

In May we let you know about the Barnabas Award and the Encouragement Award. 

Have you nominated someone yet? Time is running out. 

 The Barnabas Award is a cash prize award that recognises the input Christian writers make into the lives and work of other writers. It’s about celebrating and giving credit to Christian writers who support their colleagues by mentoring, encouraging, cheering on, supporting, praying for, and spurring on others in their writing journey. 

 The Encouragement Award is a sponsored award to encourage emerging writers. In line with Omega’s mission to encourage and equip Christian writers across the country, we look for writers who are working hard to hone their craft. 

Winners of this award may not have a full-length manuscript ready to enter in the CALEB award, but Omega Writers members want to encourage them to keep going!

If you know someone who fits this bill, please enter them by 31 July 2023.

Email iolagoultonauthor [at] gmail [dot] com up to 200 words explaining why you believe this writer should receive this prize. Be sure to include YOUR email and address details as well as the mail/website address of the author you’d like to nominate. 

 Recipients will be announced at the Omega Writers Zoom Retreat in October.

Masterclass Program

Our Masterclass series continues to deliver professional development to Christian writers across the country. Attendees have been raving about our latest classes on Author PR, taught by Katrina Roe and Writing Amazing Blurbs, taught by Laura Tharion.

“Book promotion and media has always felt daunting to me, but this class helped me feel more equipped to tackle it.” (Misha Del Favero on Author PR)

The next masterclass is coming up in August. Professional archivist Tamara Wenham will teach Hunting for History: Tracking down stories in original sources. 

 In October, Jen Richards will give a marketing and copywriting masterclass called “Do you know your USP?… and other marketing questions all writers should ask themselves”. Don’t know what a USP is? 

 Keep an eye on the Omega Writers Facebook Page for more details.

A new website is coming!

The Omega Committee has been working SO HARD on a brand-new website for several months now.

The old one was on its last legs and we are SO CLOSE to launching the new one we can almost smell it! Thank you for your patience during the last few months as we have experienced difficulties with the site. 

We can't wait to show you the new one! In the meantime, you can get updates from us on the Omega Writers Facebook Page or join the Omega Writers Facebook Group (don’t forget to answer the joining questions!).